http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/uselection2008/barackobama/2590614/Barack-Obamas-lost-brother-found-in-Kenya.html
Barack Obama's 'lost' brother found in Kenya
By Nick Pisa in Rome
Last Updated: 11:52AM BST 21 Aug 2008
Senator Barack Obama's long lost brother has been tracked down for the first time living in a shanty town in Kenya, reports claimed.
The Italian edition of Vanity Fair said that it had found George Hussein Onyango Obama living in a hut in a ramshackle town of Huruma on the outskirts of Nairobi.
Mr Obama, 26, the youngest of the presidential candidate's half-brothers, spoke for the first time about his life, which could not be more different than that of the Democratic contender.
"No-one knows who I am," he told the magazine, before claiming: "I live here on less than a dollar a month."
According to Italy's Vanity Fair his two metre by three metre shack is decorated with football posters of the Italian football giants AC Milan and Inter, as well as a calendar showing exotic beaches of the world.
Vanity Fair also noted that he had a front page newspaper picture of his famous brother - born of the same father as him, Barack Hussein Obama, but to a different mother, named only as Jael.
He told the magazine: "I live like a recluse, no-one knows I exist."
Embarrassed by his penury, he said that he does not does not mention his famous half-brother in conversation.
"If anyone says something about my surname, I say we are not related. I am ashamed," he said.
For ten years George Obama lived rough. However he now hopes to try to sort his life out by starting a course at a local technical college.
He has only met his famous older brother twice - once when he was just five and the last time in 2006 when Senator Obama was on a tour of East Africa and visited Nairobi.
The Illinois senator mentions his brother in his autobiography, describing him in just one passing paragraph as a "beautiful boy with a rounded head".
Of their second meeting, George Obama said: "It was very brief, we spoke for just a few minutes. It was like meeting a complete stranger."
George added he was no longer in contact with his mother and said:"I have had to learn to live and take what I need.
"Huruma is a tough place, last January during the elections there was rioting and six people were hacked to death. The police don't even arrest you they just shoot you.
"I have seen two of my friends killed. I have scars from defending myself with my fists. I am good with my fists."
[George Hussein Onyango Obama lives in a seventy square foot shack on the outskirts of Nairobi. He lives on less than one dollar per month. He is Barack Obama's half-brother. According to Vanity Fair magazine and in the London Telegraph, he lies about his now-famous last name, denying any connection to a brother he has met but twice, but who seemed just last year to be "a stranger", in his own words.
According to Barack Obama's tax returns for last year, the junior U.S. Senator from Illinois fared much better than others in his family, earning approximately $4,200,000 in 2007. As ridiculous as this sounds, just $12 dollars would have doubled his own brother's income. Imagine the "CHANGE" which even Barack Obama's pocket change might have accomplished in this case. All families have private issues, and certainly no family is perfect. But I'm finding no easy answers that might possibly explain how one brother with so much could turn his back on another with so little.
I hope that an explanation from Senator Obama will be quickly forthcoming, but I doubt.... Warph]
It is his half brother from a father he never knew who came from an African society where pluralistic marriage is common. Obama's family tree is widely available online. His father and grandfather had many wives all at the same time. I know Warph and others that take the time to investigate this story know these facts. My mom was one of 15 kids which is my connection to Howard, Ks. I have cousins and even some Aunts and Uncles that I only know from spending less than 24 hours with them. My Uncle Frank is one of the few people I know on my Mom's side of the family. Warph is right all family's have their issues. That being said. While I have not spent a great deal of time with my Uncle Frank and his family over the years I will say this. Blood is thicker than water and he has always been there for my Mom. That is why my Uncle Frank holds the highest honor in my family. (Sorry Uncle Frank I hope I am not embarrassing you). This is the long way of me saying check out the full details of the story about Obama and his half brother. My final conclusion, Barack Obama should be ashamed that he has not helped his half brother in some manner.
David
Maybe Barack did help. Why doesn't the brother help himself? Maybe Barack's brother doesn't want to be helped. Why don't you send him $12? I wouldn't want to be judged by my brother's lifestyle. I also know that you can't help someone who does not want to help themselves.
and finally.........WHO CARES?
All I ask is for people to check out the story. His half brother has his story and we have yet to hear Obama's so we don't know the whole story. I bet I know more of the story than most.
David
DON'T YOU KNOW THAT LIBERALS ARE ONLY GENEROUS WITH YOUR MONEY!
BAROCK EXPECTS GOVT. PROGRAMS TO TAKE CARE OF HIM!
Quote from: Warph on August 22, 2008, 03:14:16 PM
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/uselection2008/barackobama/2590614/Barack-Obamas-lost-brother-found-in-Kenya.html
Barack Obama's 'lost' brother found in Kenya
By Nick Pisa in Rome
Last Updated: 11:52AM BST 21 Aug 2008
For ten years George Obama lived rough. However he now hopes to try to sort his life out by starting a course at a local technical college.
.
George added he was no longer in contact with his mother and said:"I have had to learn to live and take what I need.
"I have seen two of my friends killed. I have scars from defending myself with my fists. I am good with my fists."
I am only using part of this story so guess you can say I am editing, however, why does this "half-brother" state that he has lived "rough" for 10 yrs. and now is going to sort out his life and go to a local technical college" Why does he no longer have contact with his mother and "takes" what he needs and lastly "good with my fists"? Sounds like he has been living the kind of life you wanted. No responsibility, take what he wants, live like he wants and now that his half-brother is "famous" he's decided to step out in the limelight. Kinda sounds like the old old story - start making money and relatives come out of the woodwork everywhere you turn.
OK I know that my last post here was a little snotty, but I REALLY don't get the relevance of this story. What are we supposed to get out of this? Is it supposed to reflect badly on Barack Obama? Is it to persuade people to not vote for Barack?
That man in Kenya is a stranger to Barack. They've met twice. The brother sounds like he made his own choices in regard to his life. He has that right, he's a grown man. Barack is not responsible for this man or his choices.
And where does it say that Barack expects the government to pay for the man? I think the man's choices indicate that HE thinks he is entitled to a handout. Why should he give interviews now? Because Barack is running for president?
No one knows anything about that man and the news can put any spin on the story that they want the public to see. Don't believe everything you read, I would bet there's more to that story.
Again, I just don't see the relevance, or why we should think that story should impact on Barack's bid for president. What am I missing?
Lol, you're not missin anything. This guys relevance to Obama is the same as Mrs. McCains half-sister has to MR McCain. It's all smoke and mirrors to distract people. I'm all for helpin your family whether you like em or not BUT sometimes you can't help em they have to help themselves. You can only do so much and then they have to take responsibility on their own. Maybe that's whats goin on here, who knows except the families? Family is family and somtimes family members lie to get attention y'know.
AND sometimes they are not even family members. Perhaps this guy is a "wanna be". In any event, he's not in any way relevant to this election or to the United States.
The relevancy is both moral and ethical, regarding both Cindy McCain and Obama. When you stop long enough to consider the implications for how these two would regard their responsibility to our society...when they don't even consider their own flesh and blood (yes, these are half-siblings...but at the level of both of those leeches incomes, they could well afford to do something discreetly at a minor level and still vastly improve the living situations of their families) to be worth the effort...it sends a chill down the spine of anyone who would rather not be caught on the short end of the stick with those two.
WE don't know what has or has not been done for any of them. I really think this is family business, not grist for the public mill. But that is just my opinion and it only counts for littel.
SDM, your opinion always counts. However, both half-siblings have made it very clear that nothing has been done for them...Obama's half brother has stated that he denies being a relative out of embarrassment over his poverty and McCain's half-sister has publically stated that, after her father died, she received 10K, her children received nothing, and that Cindy received the rest of the vast estate. However, you are correct in that this should be an internal family-related affair...if it were any other families and didn't have broader implications for how the two would view their responsibilities to this country.
CW--I'm not buying it. I would hate to think that my job or peoples perception of my ability to perform my job was judged by the choices and events in my extended family's lives Therefore, if I have the right to these expectations, so do Barack and Cindy.
Again--no one can pretend to know the whole story, these people have lives outside the media. We don't really KNOW any of these people or their personal business. The media is stirring the pot and hoping that people will be led easily by their emotions. We don't know all sides of the story and frankly, I don't think it is any of our business. I don't think Barack or Cindy owe anyone an explanation either. It has nothing to do with their ability to lead our country.
It just means that their families are just as "normal" as any one elses. And why not, it's nice to know that money can't change that!
The "broader implication for how the two would view their responsibilities to this country" is an error in logic, in my opinion.
I take it with a grain of salt because they both got with the press to do their gripin in public at a particular time when it COULD do the most "damage". You all get along with every relative you have?
Quote from: Catwoman on August 24, 2008, 06:27:21 PM
McCain's half-sister has publically stated that, after her father died, she received 10K, her children received nothing, and that Cindy received the rest of the vast estate.
This is not Cindy McCain's fault. That would be according to her father's Last Will and Testament, so if anyone is to blame it is Cindy's father.